State and local briefly

JUNEAU - ``Survivors'' of the Tracy Arm grounding of a cruise ship have not been deterred from future cruises to Alaska. All have re-booked with Cruise West.

On July 27, 1999, the cruise ship Spirit of '98 hit an unidentified object in Tracy Arm during the fourth day of a weeklong cruise. The ship quickly began taking on water and all 93 passengers had to be evacuated.

When the passengers were returned to Juneau, Cruise West, owner of the Spirit of '98, put them up at a local hotel and offered them half-price on cruises in 2000. All 93 passengers have taken Cruise West up on that offer, said Chloe Miller, spokeswoman for the company's Seattle headquarters.

``They've all re-booked,'' Miller said, ``but not on the same cruise. They're spread out throughout the entire season and all our itineraries.''

Chamber tour panel starts work

JUNEAU - The latest committee on tourism gets off to a start Monday evening, when Juneau Chamber of Commerce members settle on a name and mission for the new group.

Former assemblywoman Rosemary Hagevig has been appointed chairwoman of the committee by chamber Executive Director George Davidson. Davidson said the function of the committee is to be the chamber's ``eyes and ears'' in the tourism debate and to recommend policy positions to the chamber board. Hagevig said she sees herself strictly as a facilitator and has no specific agenda for the committee.

The first meeting will be at 5 p.m. Monday in the chamber conference room on the third floor of the Juneau Empire building.

King salmon restrictions discussed

JUNEAU - The Alaska Department of Fish and Game will hold a teleconference May 11 to discuss new restrictions in the king salmon harvest in Southeast, particularly as they apply to the sport fishery.

In Juneau, the site for the teleconference is the Hammond Room at Centennial Hall. The event, from 1-4 p.m., will include Craig, Ketchikan, Petersburg, Wrangell, Sitka, Haines and Yakutat.

The department is soliciting oral or written comments from resident sport anglers, charter operators and lodge owners in regard to the planned 42 percent reduction in the sport fish harvest, which would be an allocation of 27,535 fish. The sport harvest for treaty fish last year was 47,700.

Department offices have copies of six different management scenarios for achieving the 42 percent harvest reduction, as well as maps of potential areas for closure. More information is available from at 465-4270.